The prophet is told by the Lord to take a great roll and write concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz. The prophetess conceives a child who is named "Maher-shalal-hash-baz" (swift for spoil, hasty for prey). In verses 5-10 the Spirit of God leads us on to the final attack of the Assyrian against the returned remnant and his defeat. The nations are warned against forming a confederacy against Israel, "For," says the prophet, "God is with us."
Isaiah instructs the remnant to let the Lord be their sanctuary. Even though the Lord is hiding His face from them, the remnant who return continue to look for Him. This characterized the remnant of John the Baptist's day also, but the prophet looks on to the last days in this passage, verse 18.
The man (Christ) is definitely before us in verse 14. After Christ is spoken of as "a stone of stumbling" to the nation of Israel, the remnant carry the testimony.
The apostates have no light in them and curse their king (antichrist) for leaving them as the Assyrian attacks. (John 10:12; Zech. 11:17.)
The subject of the great "Controversy of Zion" seems to open up more in detail as we pass from one prophecy to the next. The Assyrian being the main enemy, repeated references in different connections are made to his first and second attacks. In the first attack he succeeds against Jerusalem as well as some of the nations of Palestine as he goes down to conquer Egypt. In the second attack he is destroyed in spite of his confederacy, and Israel is delivered.